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East Asia and Pacific World Bank
East Asia and Pacific World Bank

Vietnam - Coastal Cities Project (Jul 22)

Local Community Participation is The Primary Element to Alleviating Poverty in Disadvantage Areas (Jul 17)

PNPM Mandiri Daerah Tertinggal / P2DTK
Support for Poor and Disadvantaged Areas Project - SPADA
(2005 - 2011)

LEARN MORE:

SPADA Program in Aceh & Nias

Program Percepatan Daerah Tertinggal & Khusus - P2DTK (Government Website)

About PNPM Mandiri (Government Website)

KDP Project Profiles

Throughout Indonesia, as well as other developing countries, experience has illustrated that community-based recovery strategies are under most circumstances quicker, involve more affected people in their own recovery, and are more likely to lead to sustainable solutions than what top-down strategies can achieve. Community-driven and other participatory approaches to development planning are also likely to promote local solutions to problems of social conflict, which is extremely common in reconstruction situations where differential damages translate into different entitlements. However, community-based approaches also ...

Cambodia - Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project (Jul 16)

Lao PDR- Poverty Reduction Fund Project (Jul 15)
WASHINGTON, July 15, 2008- The following project was approved today by the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors: IDA Grant: US$15 million Project Description: This project will support the government’s efforts (i) to finance community infrastructure activities, and other community public capital investments and training activities at the village level; (ii) to build village level capacity in poor districts to manage public investment planning and implementation; and (iii) to strengthen the capacity of local institutions to support participatory decision-making at the village, koumban, and district levels. For more information, please call Mohamad Al-Arief at (202) 458-5964 or e-mail here at malarief@worldbank.org

Tariff Reforms Sustain Indonesian Trade Performance (Jul 15)
Contact :
World Bank Office
Jakarta Stock Exchange Building
Tower 2, 13 Floor,Jl. Jend SudirmanIn Jakarta – Randy Salim
Tel :(62 21) 5299-3259
rsalim1@worldbank.org
Improved policies and comprehensive trade reforms set to give great payoffs to IndonesiaJAKARTA, July 15, 2008 – Indonesia’s strong commitment to reforms has improved policies and boosted trade performance, says a new World Bank database and ranking tool. World Trade Indicators 2008 – Benchmarking Policy and Performance, released today, shows that Indonesian trade restrictiveness was measured at 4.5 percent in 2006, lower than the East Asia and Pacific average of 4.9 percent and far lower than the middle-income country average of 8.7 percent.In a global economy, Indonesia stands to benefit from continued liberalization of investment and trade-in-services. Recognizing this, the Indonesian government has passed a new law on investment and established transparent investment negative lists as well comprehensive program designed to...

East Asian Cities Threatened by Changing Climate, Extreme Weather (Jul 14)

Contact:
Pichaya Fitts
(08) 4752-1783
pfitts@worldbank.org

The Primer

Brochure: Green Cities Workshop

Agenda: The Green Cities Workshop

Opening remarks: Mr. Salvano Briceno, Director of the UN/ISDR

Presentation: Climate Resilient Cities Complete set of workshop materials will be available shortlyCHON BURI, Thailand (July 14, 2008) - Climate change leading to extreme weather events threatens many of East Asia's cities and could undercut recent economic progress in the region, disaster risk and climate change experts warned Monday.The consequences of climate change-induced natural hazards will be particularly severe in coastal cities, said experts from the United Nations and the World Bank during the Green Cities Workshop: Reducing Vulnerability to Climate Change Impacts and Related Natural Disasters in Asia. This, they said, poses a real challenge to the managers of 30 mega cities in East Asia, most of which are near the ocean. "The degree of impact from which cities suffer from climat...

Vietnam - Agriculture Competitiveness Project (Jul 11)

Family Planning Still a Challenge for Many Poor Women (Jul 10)

Report: Fertility Regulation Behaviors and Their Costs

Related LinksPress Release:
Deprived of Contraception, Poor Women in Developing Countries Bear Millions of Unintended PregnanciesInterview:
Africa’s Population Set to Double by 2036Story:
Poor Countries Losing Out on Family Planning BenefitsVideo:
Population Day WarningWebsites:
+ World Bank Population & Reproductive Health
+ UN Population Fund, World Population DayAverage global birth rates have declined to 3 children per motherFamily planning still out of reach for many poor womenEducation, economic opportunity also important for lowering birth rates

July 10, 2008—Over the last 30 years, birth rates have been falling steadily around the globe, but fertility levels and the pace of decline vary widely among and within countries, says a new World Bank report.In most of the world today, women on average have three children or less.However, in 35 of the world’s poor countries, birth rates remain high, with an average of more than five chil...

Renewable Energy Supplies for Rural Solomon Islanders (Jul 10)
Contact:In Sydney – Aleta Moriartyamoriarty@worldbank.orgTel: +61 (02) 2 9235 6545 In Washington DC – Mohamad Al-AriefTel: (1 202) 458-5964malarief@worldbank.org Honiara, 4 July 2008: The Central Bank of the Solomon Islands and the World Bank today launched the Sustainable Energy Financing Project, which marks the effective roll out of solar PV equipment and confirms the availability of support financing of renewable energy electricity supplies for rural communities in the Solomon Islands. In rural areas of the Solomon Islands, access to electricity is low. Power generation is heavily dependent on diesel and most lighting is provided by kerosene lamps. With the cost of diesel and kerosene soaring in the past two years many rural households are spending 25% or more of their income on fuel. Drawing on the good renewable energy endowments found in the Solomon Islands, such as Solar PV (Solar Photo Voltaic), Pico-Hydro and Biofuels, (coconut oil), the Grant Agreement will provide suppor...

World Bank Approves Transport Sector Consolidation Project in Tonga (Jul 10)
World Bank OfficeLevel 19, 14 Martin Place,Sydney NSW 2000 Contact:In Sydney – Aleta Moriartyamoriarty@worldbank.orgTel: +61 (02) 2 9235 6545 In Washington DC – Mohamad Al-AriefTel: (1 202) 458-5964malarief@worldbank.org The World Bank's Executive Board has approved an International Development Assistance grant of US$5.44 million to the Government of Tonga for a Transport Sector Consolidation Project. The Transport Sector Consolidation Project aims to establish and consolidate the operations of the newly-created Ministry of Transport (MoT). The project will assist the Government of Tonga to advance ongoing transport sector reforms and initiatives to help connect people and better respond to both current and future national needs in a safe, secure and sustainable manner. With its remote location, small size, dispersed islands setting, Tonga faces many challenges in developing and maintaining sustainable internal, regional and international transport and communication linkages, all of...